TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney launched his fall campaign for the White House Thursday night with a rousing, remarkably personal speech to the Republican National convention and a prime-time TV audience, proclaiming that America needs "jobs, lots of jobs" and promising to create 12 million of them in perilous economic times.
"Now is the time to restore the promise of America," Romney declared to a nation struggling with 8.3 percent unemployment and the slowest economic recovery in decades.
Often viewed as a distant politician, he made a press-the-flesh entrance into the hall, walking slowly down one of the convention aisles and shaking hands with dozens of delegates. The hall erupted in cheers when he reached the stage and waved to his shouting, chanting supporters before beginning to speak.
"I accept your nomination for president," he said, to a roar of approval. Then he pivoted into personal details of family life, recounting his youth as a Mormon, the son of parents devoted to one another, then a married man with five rambunctious sons.
He choked up at least twice, including when he recalled how he and wife Ann would awake to find "a pile of kids asleep in our room."
He was unstinting in his criticism of President Barack Obama, his Democratic quarry in a close and uncertain race for the White House, and drew cheers when he vowed to repeal Obama's signature health care law.
"This president can tell us it was someone else's fault. This president can tell us that the next four years he'll get it right. But this president cannot tell us that you are better off today than when he took office," Romney declared.
Clint Eastwood, legendary Hollywood tough guy, put the case for ousting Obama plainly moments before Romney made his entrance. "When somebody does not do the job, you've got to let 'em go," he said to the cheers of thousands in the packed convention hall.
The speech over, Romney was joined by running mate Paul Ryan, then their wives, and finally a stage full of their children and grandchildren. Confetti and thousands of red, white and blue balloons floated down from the rafters. They joined popular gospel singer BeBe Winans on "America the Beautiful."
Beyond the heartfelt personal testimonials and political hoopla, the evening marked one of a very few opportunities any presidential challenger is granted to appeal to millions of voters in a single night.
The two-month campaign to come includes other big moments — principally a series of one-on-one debates with Democrat Obama — in a race for the White House that has been close for months. In excess of $500 million has been spent on campaign television commercials so far, almost all of it in the battleground states of Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada.
Romney holds a fundraising advantage over Obama, and his high command hopes to expand the electoral map soon if post-convention polls in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and perhaps elsewhere indicate it's worth the investment.
Romney was often almost gentle in his criticism of Obama.
"I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed," he said. "But his promises gave way to disappointment and division."
"This isn't something we have to accept ," he said, appealing to millions of voters who say they are disappointed in the president yet haven't yet decided to cast their votes for his Republican challenger.
"Now is the moment when we can stand up and say, 'I'm an American. I make my destiny. And we deserve better! My children deserve better! My family deserves better! My country deserves better!"
Romney's remarks came on a night when other speakers filled out a week-long portrait of the GOP nominee as a man of family and faith, savior of the 2002 Winter Olympics, savvy and successful in business, yet careful with a buck. A portion of the convention stage was rebuilt overnight so he would appear surrounded by delegates rather than speaking from a distance, an attempt to soften his image as a sometimes-stiff and distant candidate.
"He shoveled snow and raked leaves for the elderly. He took down tables and swept floors at church dinners," said Grant Bennett, describing Romney's volunteer work as an unpaid lay clergy leader in the Mormon church.
Following him to the podium, Ted and Pat Oparowski tenderly recalled how Romney befriended their 14-year-old son David as he was dying of cancer. "We will be ever grateful to Mitt for his love and concern," she said simply.
Shouts of "USA, USA" echoed in the convention hall as several Olympic medal winners came on stage, a reminder of Romney stepping in to help rescue the faltering 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
In an evening that blended the political and the personal, delegates saw a video in which his sons poked fun at him. "I can't explain love," Romney said.
As for Obama, Romney said, "Many Americans have given up on this president, but they haven't ever thought about giving up. Not on themselves, Not on each other. And not on America."
The economy is issue No. 1 in the race for the White House, and Romney presented his credentials as the man better equipped than the president to help create jobs. Speaker after speaker testified to the help their received from Bain Capital, the private equity firm that he created — and that Democrats argue often took over companies, loaded them down with debt and then walked away with huge fees as bankruptcy approached.
"When I told him about Staples, he really got excited at the idea of saving a few cents on paper clips," businessman Tom Stemberg said of the office supply store chain he founded with backing from Bain.
There was no shortage of Obama-bashing, though.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, sharing the stage with his wife, Callista, said Obama was a president in the Jimmy Carter mold. Both "took our nation down a path that in four years weakened America's confidence in itself and our hope for a better future," he said.
Romney' offered no new information on what has so far been a short-on-details pledge to reduce federal deficits and create 12 million jobs in a country where unemployment stands at 8.3 percent.
Romney would have to nearly double the current, anemic pace of job growth to achieve 12 million jobs over four years. That's conceivable in a healthy economy. Moody's Analytics, a financial research operation, expects nearly that many jobs to return in four years no matter who occupies the White House, absent further economic setbacks.
Romney's steps for achieving the employment growth include deficit cuts that he has not spelled out and a march toward energy independence that past presidents have promised but never delivered.
He has called for extension of tax cuts due to expire at all income levels at the end of the year, and an additional 20 percent across the board cut in rates. But he has yet to sketch which tax breaks he will eliminate or cut to prevent deficits from rising.
Nor has he been forthcoming about where to make the trillions in spending cuts needed to redeem his pledge of major deficit reduction, or about his promise to rein in Medicare or other government benefit programs before they go broke.
Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, has called for remaking Medicare into a program in which the government would send seniors checks to be used to purchase health care insurance.
Under the current approach, beneficiaries pay premiums to the government, which then pays a part of all of their medical bills, and Democrats say the GOP alternative would expose seniors to ever-rising out-of-pocket costs.
Obama's surrogates missed no opportunity to criticize Romney, the convention proceedings or Ryan's own acceptance speech.
"He lied about Medicare. He lied about the Recovery Act," Obama's campaign manager, Jim Messina, emailed Democratic donors in a plea for cash.
"He lied about the deficit and debt. He even dishonestly attacked Barack Obama for the closing of a GM plant in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin — a plant that closed in December 2008 under George W. Bush."
The evening sealed a triumph more than five years in the making for Romney. He ran unsuccessfully for the nomination in 2008 after a single term as a moderate Republican governor of a liberal Democratic state.
This year, as then, he was assailed as a convert to conservatism, and a questionable one at that, as Gingrich, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and other rivals battled him for the nomination. With a superior organization and an outside group that spent millions criticizing his foes, Romney eventually emerged as the nominee in early spring.
Mike McClellan posted at 9:24 pm on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
As a performance, Romney gave his best speech I've ever heard from him. Which suggests to me that he'll be better in debates (given how well prepared he seemed for the speech) than I or others might've thought he'd be.
On the other hand, 12 million jobs in 4 years? Cut the deficit in half? Really? Good luck.
Obama increased taxes on the middle class? Obama went on an apology tour? Really?
Much of the substance of his speech left him open to all kinds of rejoinders from the Obama campaign.
And let's not even begin to talk about Clint Eastwood . . .
Slabside posted at 12:00 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
Don't even start Mike. Look at all of the items Oblameo promised. When each and every one of them failed despite having two years with Congress locked up with Dems, he still has fell flat on his face.
I know, I know... it's all Bush's fault.
Let the debates begin. Even his teleprompter will not save him.
Mike McClellan posted at 8:25 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
Newsflash, Slabside: Republicans vowed to block every possible legislative "victory" they could. Apparently, you forgot how the Senate Republicans use the filibuster like 60-vote cloture to keep most legislation DOA in the Senate.
Including even having the House consider the Simpson/Bowles recommendations -- thanks to Paul Ryan's vote on the commission, the House didn't even get the chance to.
And then, your boy Ryan argued to Republicans -- behind closed doors -- to reject the Grand Bargain. Why? He was afraid it'd give Obama a second term.
firefly1818 posted at 9:12 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
If america needs jobs, why is this schmuck outsourcing them ????? hmmmm????
daveofthedesert posted at 9:55 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
Heres more background about Mittens the lyer.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-federal-bailout-that-saved-mitt-romney-20120828
clotheshog posted at 10:03 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
nothing said but a bunch of EMPTY rhetoric.... no plan.. just bashing what has or hasn't been done... did they forget to mention how they are going to gut medicare and cut funds... i think they had a sudden bout of amnesia or whatever clint had going on there... take away tax deductions from the middle class... and that is not raising taxes... like a cancer the Rep's will eat away at anyone that is not wealthy... under R & R the rich will become richer and the middle class will become poorer. and lets not even get to the womens rights issue because of their religious beliefs.....
DavidNichols posted at 11:25 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
To Restore America, our Nation must acknolledge what actually caused "The Great Recession".
January 2008 began the "Anti-Immigrant Rant", the E-verify Law, and the I.C.E. Deportation/Incarceration Programs, which attacked America's Hardest, and Most Devoted Workers , even Deporting Parents away from their legal Citizen Children/Families.
January 2008 Also began "The Great Recession", "The Foreclosure Crisis", and our new "National Deficit".
This is No Co-incidence!
Fact: the hard labor Immigrants gladly did FOR America was the very Foundation of our Strong Economy, and it supported all other Jobs.
Fact: since the January 2008 start of the Anti-Immigrant Rant" America has lost over Four times as many American Jobs for every Immigrant Incarcerated, or Deported.
Romney wants more of the same!
"Attrition" is what has Crashed America!
This is our I.C.E.'d Economy, and I.C.E. "put the Car in the Ditch."
The Twenty-five year period prior to the January 2008 start of the "Anti-Immigrant Rant "was the Most Prosperous period in Total U.S. History!
We all worked Hard together!
Until we figure this out, and Treat Human Beings as such, America will remain on the same Downward Path.
"America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great."
Alex De Tocqueville, a very wise 1840's French Historian
Good, not "Attrition" will Restore America.
This Great Nation of Immigrants was Built on Far Better Principles, and Values than Romney's "Attrition".
C.T.R. Romney?
To: Good and Brotherhood from Sea to shining Sea.
Accuracy posted at 12:01 pm on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
Mike McClellan posted his analysis of the final night of the Republican National Convention and Mitt Romney's speech. And next week, for sure, Mike will throw his support behind President Barack Obama at the end of the Democratic National Convention.
During the 2008 United States presidential election Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood endorsed John McCain. And, it was Republican Eastwood who formally endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during a fundraiser in Sun Valley, Idaho, August 3, 2012. Eastwood stated that the country needed a boost and that Romney would hopefully "restore a decent tax system" to create "fairness".
So, Thursday night, Eastwood address the Republican National Convention and cleared the stage before Florida Sen. Marco Rubio introduced Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
Mitt Romney rallied GOP, vowed to work for all Americans to fix the economy, as he accepted the Republican nomination for president. Romney clearly sought to portray himself as a businessman who can fix the American economy, and told the convention crowd that he's the candidate to bring jobs back to America.
CSalafia posted at 12:03 pm on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
So, Romney plans to create the same amount of jobs the CBO says will be created if nothing changes.
....and all the dupes in Tampa fell for it as Romney's plan.
REG in AZ posted at 1:02 pm on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Romney and the Republicans are owned and controlled by "the money", the 1% of the population that they cater to. Boehner, Cantor, Ryan, Bachmann, McConnell and others have consistently demonstrated it in their stubborn concentration on "the money's" interests and their arrogant focus on their own political ambitions, no matter what the costs to the people. Norquist, Cheney, Rove, the Koch brothers, SuperPacs and others make it clear as they use the 1%'s mega-millions to coerce their own to assure unity behind "the money's" interests, to recruit and sell "puppet" candidates who will perform as their "strings are pulled", and to constantly bombard the people with their propaganda. The deceptive propaganda alone is proof enough but that takes people checking their emotional loyalties so they can't be conned and instead see reality.
The Republicans have become cocky confident after being emboldened with past successes in the manipulation of the "conservative" Christian (2000), the Swift-boat propaganda (2004), the Tea Party movement (2010) and the flooding of Wisconsin with many millions in that states recent recall election; all being well designed, well directed and well funded efforts to sway voters in the same single direction. Their confidence represents their surety that they can take the people for granted, insultingly assuming that the public can just be used as "pawns", to be manipulated by the abundant subterfuge paid for by "the money' - with nowhere in there being any honest concern for the people's interests.
Romney leaves no doubt as he cultivates the substantial support of "the money", collecting mega- millions while promising his support for their interests - once again catering to exactly those who caused our problems. Romney's demeanor, attitude and history all identify he is part of the 1%, is focused on serving their interests and won't and can't really understand the needs of the majority - he very apparently feels above that and without the humility to relate to those needs. He offers the people nothing but criticism of Obama and the arrogant request "I know how, just trust me" but without a history to show he even cares or that he can move beyond the interests of "the money".
It is up to the people, the voters with their first challenge being to resist the aggressive and substantial efforts aimed to use them, to con and manipulate them with the abundant mega-millions spent on bombarding them with propaganda. If the majority can't look beyond the subterfuge to see reality, to recognize that "the money" is trying to use them for their own purposes and that there really isn't any concern or conscience for the people, then we are just apt to be returned to "more of the same", Bush-Cheney style, and once again incur the drastic costs there for the majority.
The people need to see that while reducing spending, the deficit and "big government" are worthwhile goals, they aren't the source of our problems and actually, are simply the intentional distraction to keep attention from what is the cause of our problems and what they want to assure continues - that being the exploitation by "the few" allowed by permissive and co-responsible politicians, encouraging run-away greed, gross dishonesty and self-indulgence, resulting in the repeated crises that not only brought our economy down but also spread around the world. When the people clearly see the 1% are constantly feeding their insatiable "more" (never enough) appetite while substantially costing the 99%, as is proven by their constant gains and the majority's continual losses, then maybe the voters will refuse to support it, refuse to be propagandized and instead totally reject their "puppet" politicians who just subordinate themselves to "the money's" interests. This really isn't about "conservative" versus "liberal", or even about Romney versus Obama, it is about the survival of the middle-class.
REG in AZ posted at 11:08 am on Sun, Sep 2, 2012.
What we need is honest and responsible representation for the people, the 99%, and not just mega-millions spent to offer an abundandance of subterfuge to con the people and manipulape public opinion while "puppet" politicians concentrate on serving the interests of "the money", the 1%, as they then feed their insatiable "more" (never enough) appetite. Need to see it in action, then note how when they fault government spending and the deficit (good things to get under control but not what caused our problems) they continue to seek to exploit allowed advantages to continue gaining more and having the majority just oose more - with no conscience or concern for the people there, just a con (which is what causes the problems).